Fire extinguisher



e. T. PEARSONS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER. APPLICATION maoppc 31,1911.

1,431, 1 '79 Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

WHNESS: 9 INVENTOP 7/ Georg TPeqySNlS "1 43 f ATTOHIKEVWI Patented Get. 1%, 192,2

Eran sass 'GEORGE "TAYLOR PEARSQNS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y

FIRE EXTINGUISEER.

' Application filed December 31, 1917. Serial No. 209,629.

'To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Gnonsn T. Pnansons, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and"State of New Yorkphave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fireextlnguishers 'in which a reservoir containingffire extinguishing liquidis pivotally supported in a normally upright position and adapted to be released and assume an inverted positionito discharge the fire extinguishing liqv-idea fire extinguisher of this type with a system of tubing or piping within the reservoir leading to and having a plurality of outlets exterior of the reservoir all of which open to the interior of the reservoir through a single inlet and to so arrange the outlets that one'ormore may be open to the atmosphere, to discharge the liquid from the reservoir downward, laterally or upwardly, or in all of such directions, and to adapt the tubing as the means support the extinguisher.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fire extinguisher of thistype in which the outlets have a free passageway clear and unobstructed to the interior of the reservoir; that is, a passageway which is free of manually operative or check valves, and to provide the inlet to suchoutlet tubing with a liquid to seal the fire extinguishing liquid from the atmosphere through the outlet means in the inoperative position of the extinguisher and thereby prevent evaporation of'the fire extinguishing liquid.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved gas generator means in a fire extinguisher of this character comprising a gas generating chamber tobe submerged in the fire extinguishing liquid hav to rotatably I the fusing of said link releasing the ext ning an outlet port or ports open to the reservoir, with improved means to carry generating means therein in a separated conclition'and open to each other in the normal upright position of the generator and adapted to mix and generate gas when inverted.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification there is shown in sectional front elevation fire extinguisher illustrating an embodiment of inv invention. I

The embodiment of my invention shown iii-the drawing comprises a reservoir 1 to contain fire extinguishing liquid, such carbon tetrachloride or a compound thereof, such reservoir having an opening at the top with a removable closure 2 tort-he purpose of filling the reservoir and getting {10- cess to the interior thereof. A tube 3 extends'transversely of the reservoir, said tube being atone side of thelongitudinal axis of the reservoir with the ends extending to the exterior thereof, the projecting ends of said tube constituting trunnions to rotatably support the extinguisher as by hangers 4: secured to a ceiling, or they may be secured. to a floor to serve as supportingstandards.

he extinguisher is maintained in upright position by a chain or cab e 5 attached at one end to the reservoir passing over a pulley 6 and the other end (not shown) secured ina suitable manner. 'The chain has a link 70f material which will fusewhen the temper'ature rises to a predetermined degree.

guisher, whereupon the extinguisher will automatically assume an inverted position due to the locating of the tube 3, and thereby 9 the supporting trunnions of the extinguisher, at one side of the longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

Connected to and leading from the tube 3 are a plurality of discharge tubes, such as a tube 8 connected to the tube 3 interior of the reservoir andextending through the bottom of the reservoir with an open discharge nozz e 9 removably connected thereto. Each of the projecting trunnions of the pipe '3 has discharge tubes 10, 11, and 12,

18 connected thereto extending in opposite directions to the top and bottom of the reservoir and either one or all of which may be open to the atmosphere and connected to the interior oi the reservoir. As shown the tubes 11.. 12 have discharge nozzles 14 and 15 removably connected thereto, while the other ends are closed by removable caps 16 and 17. Either one or both of the projecting ends of the tube may be open to the atmosphere and the interior of the reservoir, but as shown one end has a discharge nozale 18 connected thereto while the other end is closed by a cap 19.

The system of tubing 3, 8. 10, 11, 12 and 13 has a single inlet "from the interior of the reservoir through a tube 20 connected to the tube 3 and extending to one end (in the normal, position of the extinguisher the top) of the reservoir. It will. be noted that there is a tree and unobstructed passageway, without manually operative or check valves, from the interior ot the reservoir to the respective tubes. However, as the fire extinguishing liquid is ot a very highly evaporable nature to shut otl said liquid from the atmosphere through the outlet tubing there is provided a liquid seal, such as a nonevaporable and non-freezing liquid or one which will only freeze at a very low temperature. This seal is carried in a pocket 22 suspended in the reservoir from an opening in the top and has as opening to the exterior of the reservoir closed by a removable cap 23 to refill the pocket. The inlet tube 20 to the system of discharge tubing is connected to the pocket 22 at a point above the scaling liquid therein as shown at 24c, and the pocket has an inlet 25 entering from the top and having an outlet into the pocket below the liquid therein.

To create an expelling pressure in the reservoir to discharge the liquid therefrom there is provided within the reservoir gas generating means, which in the normal upright position of the extinguisher carries generating materials in a separated condition at all times open to each other, and as the extinguisher is released and assumes an inverted position such materials will mix, generating gas which is led into the reservoir and the force thereof exerted upon the tire extinguishing liquid to expel the same from the reservoir. This gas generating means comprises a tubular member 2? open at one end. and having at the closed end a laterally flanged portion 28 with a series of ports 29 below the closed end. A tubular shell. 30 of greater length than the member 27 and closed at one end engages over the open end of said member 27 and co-operates with the flange 28 to releasably connect the shell 30 and the member 27 with a space be tween the walls, thus providing a chamber in which the gas is generated and from which it is led to the reservoir through the ports 29. The gas generating materials consist of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid carried in a receptacle, such as a bottle 32, carried in the member 27, and bicarbonate oi soda carried in the tubular member 27 superposed to the receptacle 32, as shown at 33. To maintain the bicarbonate of soda separated from the acid and the acid in the receptacle 32 open to the soda at all times, the receptacle has a flanged stopper 3% of a metal which will not be affected by the acid, such as lead, said stopper having ports 35 therethrough for the flow or passage of the acid from the bottle. Supported upon the stopper flange, and supporting the bicarbonate of: soda, is a lead disk 36, said disk having downwardly extending projections to provide a space between the end of the bottle and disk. The disk 36 is of slightly less diameter than the internal diameter oi: the tubular member 27 to provide a space between the periphery oi. the disk and the walls of the member 27. The disk is slidably mounted on a stem 38 secured at one end in the stopper 34 and extending to the top of the shell 30 to maintain the'acid bottle at the bottom of the member 27 when the generator is inverted. The generator engages loosely in an annular member 39 tastened to the bottom of the reservoir and is retained in position therein when the extinguisher is inverted by a rod to extending downward from the cover 2 to adjacent the generator.

In operation as the extinguisher is inverted the sealing liquid in the pocket 22 will drop against the cover 23 of the pocket and opencommunication between the system of outlet tubing and the interior of the reservoir through the inlet tube 20, the pocket and pocket inlet 25. Simultaneously with the inverting of the extinguisher a portion oi the acid will flow from the receptacle 32 and trickle over the periphery of the disk 36 to contact with the bicarbonate of soda and generate gas, such gas pressure being suiicient, should the soda have been packed into the upcr end of the member 27 onto the disk, to force the soda into the generating chamber and permitting of the ready flow of the acid from the bottle and the mixing thereof with the soda. The generated gas passes up through the perforations in screens t] in the space between the shell 30 and member I .27 and out through the outlets 29, and as the generator has a loose fit in the annular member 39 into the reservoir where the force exerted thereby will discharge the fire extinguishing liquid through the inlet 25 to the pocket 22, from said pocket to the inlet 20 to the transverse tube 3 and from said latter tube through either one or more oi? the tubes 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 18, or the ends of the tube 3, having discharge nozzles connected thereto. By the provision of the system of outlet tubing shown and described there is provided an extinguisher of this type adapted for universal use, as the discharge inlet maybe open. to direct or eject the liquid in one or more streams either upward, downward, or laterally. or simultaneously in all of these directions. Furthermore, a sprinkler head, as shown at 42, may be connected to either one or all of the discharge outlets of nozzles to diffuse the ejected liquid laterally.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a fire extinguisher an invertible reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid, a plurality of outlet tubes leading from said reservoir to the exterior thereof, said outlet tubes having a single inlet from within the reservoir leading from the upper end in the upright and normal position of the reservoir and leading from the bottom when the reservoir is inverted, and a liquid seal for the inlet.

2. In a fire extinguisher, a pivotally mounted reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid, and a system of tubing within the reservoir having a plurality of outlets leading from different parts of the reservoir and all of which are open to the interior of the reservoir through a single inlet leading from the top of the reservoir when in upright position and from the bottom when inverted, and a liquid seal for the inlet.

3. In a fire extinguisher a reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid, and a system of tubing within the reservoir having a plurality of branches leading from difierent portions of the reservoir with outlets exterior of the reservoir and certain of said branches arranged whereby the reservoir is adapted to be rotatably supported, a single inlet to said tubing from within and ELClJFL- cent one end of the reservoir, and a liquid seal for the inlet.

4. In a fire extinguisher a reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid; a system of tubing within the reservoir having branches leading from different portions of the reservoir with outlets exterior of the reservoir, and all of which branches are open to the interior of the reservoir through a single inlet to the tubing, and a liquid seal carried by said tubing at a point within the inlet thereto to seal the fire extinguishing liquid from said outlet tubing in the upright position of the extinguisher for the purpose specified.

5. In a fire extinguisher, the combination of a pivotally mounted reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid; a system of tubing within the reservoir having branches leading from different parts of the reservoir to provide a plurality of outlets exterior of the reservoir and all of which are open to the interior of the reservoir through a single inlet to the tubing leading from the top of the reservoir when in normal upright position and from the bottom when inverted. and certain of which branches are arranged to pivotally support the reservoir; means to releasably retain the reservoir in upright position; a chamber within the reservoir having an inlet open to the reservoir and an outlet connected with the inlet of the tubing and carrying a liquid to seal the inlet of said chamber from the outlet in the normal upright position of the reservoir; and means operable to create an expelling pressure upon the liquid in the reservoir when the extinguisher is inverted.

6. In a fire extinguisher a reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid, and a sys tem of tubing leading from the interior to the diiterent parts of the exterior of the reservoir to provide outlets from the reservoir directed to the top, bottom and later ally of the reservoir and having communication with the interior of the reservoir through a single inlet to said tubing and by means of which tubing the reservoir is adapted to be rotatably supported, with the inlet to the tubing at the top in the normal upright position of the reservoir and at the bottom when inverted.

7. I11 a fire extinguisher a pivotally supported reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid normally supported in upright position by a cable having a link of material fusible at a predetermined temperature; pressure means contained within the reservoir; and a system of piping contained within said reservoir having a liquid seal between the system of piping and the liquid in the reservoir.

8. In a fire extinguisher a pivotally supported reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid normally supported. in upright position by a cable having a link of material fusible at a predetermined temperature; gas pressure means contained within the reser voir; and a system. of piping contained within said reservoir having a plurality of outlets and a liquid seal between the system of piping and the liquid in the reservoir.

9. In a fire extinguisher a pivotally supported reservoir to contain fire extinguishing liquid normally supported in upright position by a cable having a link of material :Eusible at a predetermined temperature; a system of piping within the reservoir having a single inlet from the reservoir with a plurality of outlet branches leading to the exterior of the reservoir; means to seal the inlet to said piping; and a gas generator in the reservoir at all times open to the reservoir and adapted to generate gas upon the inverting of the reservoir to place the liquid under compression, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a fire extinguisher, the combination of a pivotally supported reservoir'to contain fire extinguishing liquid having an outlet and normally maintained in. upright position by fusible means; gas pressure means; and a receptacle in the reservoir having an inlet in communication with the reservoir and an outlet in communication with the outlet of the reservoir and carrying a liquid to seal the reservoir outlet in the upright position of the reservoir and thereby the liquid from the atmosphere.

Signed at the city of New York, in the 10 county of New York and State of New York, this 28th clay of December, 1917.

GEO. TAYLOR PEARSONS. 

